This document outlines the grant awarding process in COST from application to payment. It describes the key steps and roles involved, including: 1) The applicant creates and submits a grant application with required documents. 2) The Grant Awarding Coordinator reviews and approves or rejects the application on behalf of the Management Committee. 3) If approved, the Grant Holder Manager sends a grant letter to the applicant. 4) The applicant submits a report within 30 days of completion. 5) The Grant Awarding Coordinator reviews and approves or rejects the report. 6) If approved, the Grant Holder Manager records payment to complete the process.

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COST Association AISBL
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T +32 (0)2 533 3800 | office@cost.eu | www.cost.eu
Grant Awarding
User guide
Nov/2021

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CONTENTS
1. Introduction......................................................................................................... 3
1.1. Key players.............................................................................................................................. 3
2. process overview................................................................................................ 4
2.1. Applicant creates a Grant application ..................................................................................... 4
2.2. Approval /rejection of the application on behalf of the MC ................................................... 10
2.3. The GH manager sends the applicant the Grant Notification Letter..................................... 11
2.4. Grantee uploads the report and Grant Awarding Coordinator approves. ............................. 14
2.5. Grant Awarding Coordinator approves/rejects the report ..................................................... 16
2.6. The GH manager makes the payment of the Grant.............................................................. 17

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1. INTRODUCTION
This document describes the Grant Awarding process as implemented in e-COST, from the moment
an applicant submits an application for approval by the Grant Awarding Coordinator to the payment
and recording of the amount paid by the Grant Holder manager (GHM) to the grantee. The applicant
can draft and submit an application for either a Short-term Scientific Mission (STSM), Virtual Mobility
(VM), Virtual Networking Support (VNS), ITC Conference or Dissemination Conference, the process
for all types of grants is similar.
1.1. Key players
 Grant Applicant
 Grant Awarding Coordinator
 Action Chair
 Action Vice Chair
 Leadership Positions
 Grant Holder Manager (GHM)
Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM), Virtual Mobility, Virtual Networking
Support and Dissemination Conference Grant Applicant
The Grant applicant(s) are Action participants with a primary affiliation to a legal entity located in a
COST Full or Cooperating Member country, a COST Near Neighbour Country or a European RTD
Organisation.
Template:
https://www.cost.eu/STSM_GrantApplication
https://www.cost.eu/STSM_Report
https://www.cost.eu/VM_GrantApplication
https://www.cost.eu/VM_Report
https://www.cost.eu/DisseminationConference_GrantApplication
https://www.cost.eu/DisseminationConference_Report
https://www.cost.eu/VNS_GrantApplication
https://www.cost.eu/VNS_Report
ITC Conference Grant Applicant
The ITC Conference Grant Applicant(s) are Young Researchers and Innovators affiliated in an
Inclusiveness Target Country (ITC) or Near Neighbour Country.
Template:
https://www.cost.eu/ITCConference_GrantApplication
https://www.cost.eu/ITCConference_Report

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Grant Awarding Coordinator
The Grant Awarding Coordinator is the person appointed by the Action Management Committee (MC)
charged to coordinate and approve on behalf of the Acton MC the awarding of all types of grants for
supporting the mobility of Researchers and Innovators and the presentation of Action results at a
conference organised by a third party (further details are provided in the Annotated Rules)
Action Chair
In the absence of a Grant Awarding Coordinator, the Action Chair acts as default Grant Awarding
Coordinator on behalf of the Action Management Committee (MC) consequently can, on behalf of the
Action Management Committee (MC) approve/reject grant applications.
Action Vice Chair
The Action Vice Chair has access to the monitoring of Grant applications, can download applications
supporting documentation and receives a copy of relevant notifications.
Leadership Positions
The Leadership Positions have access to the monitoring of Grant applications and can download
applications supporting documentation.
Grant Holder Manager
The GH manager monitors the incoming approved grant applications, determines the Grant amount in
accordance with the request, but also with the budget available, sends the successful applicants their
Grant Notification letter and ensures that all grants are paid within the deadline for payment.
In the absence of a Grant Awarding Coordinator, the Grant Holder Manager can on behalf of the Action
Management Committee (MC) approve/reject grant applications.
2. PROCESS OVERVIEW
2.1. Applicant creates a Grant application
The applicant encodes a grant application by logging into e-COST and clicking on the Grant
Applications tab.
Any already existing applications are available for consultation in the Grant Applications Monitoring. To
encode a new application, the applicant clicks on ‘Apply for grant’.

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The applicant can select the grant from the page ‘Apply for new grant’
For each type of grant an application form will contain different sections, some are pre-filled by e-COST
such as Applicant name or Primary Affiliation, others are mandatory to be filled.
Grant applications require an active Action Grant Period.
Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) – Application page

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Virtual Mobility - Application page
Virtual Networking Support - Application page

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Dissemination Conference – Application page
ITC Conference Grant – Application page

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After encoding the Grant application form by filling all above-mentioned sections, the applicant also
needs to upload the actual application template completed which shall be previously downloaded from
the application page.
The applicant will need to upload additional supporting documentation for each type of grant.
STSM – supporting documentation
 STSM grant Application (based on e-COST template)
 Confirmation of the host on the agreement from the host institution in receiving the applicant
 Other documents required by the Action
Virtual Mobility – supporting documentation
 Virtual Mobility grant Application (based on e-COST template)
 Other documents required by the Action
Virtual Networking Support – supporting documentation
 Virtual Networking Support grant Application (based on e-COST template)
 Other documents required by the Action
Dissemination Conference – supporting documentation
 Dissemination conference grant application (based on e-COST template)
 Copy of the abstract of the accepted oral presentation
 Acceptance (or invitation) letter from the conference organisers
 Other documents required by the Action
ITC Conference – supporting documentation
 ITC Conference grant application (based on e-COST template)
 Copy of the abstract of the accepted oral or poster presentation
 Acceptance letter from the conference organisers
 Other documents required by the Action

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After adding the supporting document(s), the applicant can submit the grant application.
The application status will change from draft to submitted. Prior to approval of the application, if need
be, the applicant will be able to revise the application.

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2.2. Approval /rejection of the application on behalf of the MC
As soon as the Grant application is submitted, the Grant Awarding Coordinator is notified. The applicant,
Action Chair and Vice Chair also receive a copy of the notification.
Alternatively, the status of the applications can be consulted via the Grant Applications Monitoring.
The Grant Awarding Coordinator will be able to review and approve/reject the Grant application on
behalf of the MC. In case of rejection, a justification needs to be encoded. The justification will be
included in the e-notification to the applicant.

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Upon approval, the Grant application status will change from submitted to pre-approved.
2.3. The GH manager sends the applicant the Grant Notification
Letter
As soon as the Grant Awarding Coordinator approved the Grant application, the GH manager is notified
and can send the Grant Letter notification. The Action Chair and Vice Chair also receive a copy of the
e-notification.
The GH manager follows the link provided in the notification and logs into e-cost. The GH manager can
send the grant letter to the grantee.

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Upon sending of the grant letter, the status of the Grant application will change from pre-approved to
Grant Letter sent.

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The grant letter notification is sent to the applicant. The GH manager and the Grant Awarding
Coordinator will be in copy of the notification.
The Grant Letter outlines the rights and duties of the grantee and of the Grant Holder.

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2.4. Grantee uploads the report and Grant Awarding Coordinator
approves.
1 day and 10 days after the end of the grant, the grantee receives a reminder to upload the report.
The deadline to submit the report is 30 days from the end of the activity, within 15 days from the end
date of the Grant Period or within a shorter timeframe as per Grant Holder/ Grant Awarding
Coordinator’s request to meet reporting deadlines.
The grantee receives an e-notification to submit the report and other supporting documents on e-
COST, the GH manager and the Grant Awarding Coordinator will be in copy of the notification.

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The grantee must complete the report template, upload, and submit it in e-COST along with additional
supporting documents if applicable, for each type of grant.
STSM – supporting documentation
 Report template
 Other documents (if required by the Action)
Virtual Mobility – supporting documentation
 Report template
 Other documents (if required by the Action)
Virtual Networking Support – supporting documentation
 Report template
 Other documents (if required by the Action)
Dissemination Conference – supporting documentation
 Report template
 Certificate of attendance
 Programme of the conference or book of abstracts / proceedings indicating the oral presentation
 Copy of the given presentation
 Other documents (if required by the Action)
ITC Conference – supporting documentation
 Report template
 Certificate of attendance
 Programme of the conference or book of abstracts / proceedings indicating the presentation
(oral or poster)
 Copy of the given presentation (oral or poster)
 Other documents (if required by the Action)
The status of the application changes from Grant letter sent to Report submitted.

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Upon submission of the grant report, an e-notification is sent to the Grant Awarding Coordinator and a
copy to the grantee, Action Chair and Vice Chair.
2.5. Grant Awarding Coordinator approves/rejects the report
The Grant Awarding Coordinator is notified when the grantee submitted the report and must verify the
validity and content of the report by clicking the link in the notification. Alternatively, the report can be
accessed from the Monitoring Grant Applications.
After review of the report by the procedures agreed by the MC, the Grant Awarding Coordinator needs
to encode its approval or rejection on behalf of the MC.

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If rejected, a justification is required and its content will be included in the e-notification to the grantee,
who is asked to revise and re-submit the report. In this case, the status of the application goes back to
Grant letter sent.
If the Grant Awarding Coordinator approves the report, the application status changes to Report
Approved and the GH manager is notified that the grant can be paid. The applicant, Action Chair and
Vice Chair receive a copy of the e-notification.
2.6. The GH manager makes the payment of the Grant
Following the link in the e-notification, the GH manager reaches the Grants page from which grant
payments can be recorded.
The GH manager can download an excel list of grants that are ready to be paid via the Export all
applications. This list contains the necessary information for the GH financial and accounting
department to process the Grant transfer.

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Once the GH financial and accounting department processed the Grant transfer, the GH manager can
record the payment and complete the grant process.
Upon the recording of the payment, an e-notification is sent to the grantee, with a copy to the GH
manager.